Cops: Man assaulted woman on Lansdale street after she refused to drive him to work

LANSDALE — A Lansdale man is behind bars on assault and related charges for allegedly attacking his fiancée in a drunken rage on a borough street Tuesday evening after a series of arguments that culminated in her refusal to drive him to work.

Nenneth Lee Holder, 33, of the 1100 block of West Main Street, is facing two counts of misdemeanor simple assault and one count each of disorderly conduct, public drunkenness and harassment, all summary charges, in connection with the alleged July 22 incident.

Lansdale police said that just after 7 p.m., officers were dispatched to the area of West Main Street and Edgemont Avenue for a report of a man hitting a woman.

Upon arrival, police said, officers observed a Chevrolet Suburban parked in the middle of the road on the 900 block of West Third Street, and a man — soon identified as Holder — standing outside the vehicle yelling at a woman sitting in the rear of the truck, then punching her through the open window.

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Officers immediately separated the pair; Holder, who was “extremely upset” and continued to yell at the woman, reeked of alcohol and was taken into custody, police said.

The woman identified herself as Holder’s fiancée, and said she was OK, although officers observed a small cut on her chin and an abrasion on her knee, according to police.

During a subsequent interview with officers back at Lansdale police headquarters, the woman said that the circumstances leading up to the incident began that morning when Holder returned home from work and began drinking, then alternated between drinking and sleeping throughout the day until 6:20 p.m., when the woman woke him up because he had to go back to work, police said.

The woman told police that upon waking, Holder was “belligerent” and accused her of urinating on the toilet, then called her names and demanded sex before he left for work, but she refused.

After the pair continued to argue, the woman began to drive Holder to work “because he was intoxicated and has a suspended driver’s license,” police said she told them, but after Holder again yelled at her and called her names, she stopped the Suburban on West Third Street, told him she wasn’t driving him anywhere and got out of the truck with the keys in her hand.

At that point, police said, Holder chased the woman, grabbed and tore her dress and bra as she was running, then tackled her on the front lawn of a nearby property and held onto her, demanding the keys to the vehicle.

Eventually, Holder released her, and she got into the back seat of the Suburban to get away from him; Holder yelled at her to drive him to work, so she locked the doors for her safety but left the windows open, and he punched her as officers arrived on the scene, according to police.

Officers said that the woman suffers from a debilitating spinal condition and that Holder was “well aware” of her condition when he assaulted her; during the interview, she complained of a sore back and side from the assault and had difficulty moving and getting out of her chair, police added.

A portable breath test administered to Holder after the alleged incident indicated he had a .107-percent blood alcohol concentration, police said.

Holder was arraigned on the five criminal counts Wednesday morning before District Judge Harold Borek of Lansdale, who set bail at $10,000 cash. Holder was committed to Montgomery County Correctional Facility after failing to post bond.

He’s due back in Borek’s courtroom on Aug. 5 for a preliminary hearing.